The Same Old Republican Pledge

For the fourth consecutive decade, Republicans are “pledging” to cut taxes and cut spending.
 
Ronald Reagan made the pledge in the 1980s. Newt Gingrich made it in the 1990s. George Bush made it in the 2000s. And now it’s back in the 2010 “Pledge to America.”
 
Jon Stewart did a masterful job of using the Republicans’ own words from before to mock the pledge – including John Boehner saying basically the same thing he said 10 years ago.
 
Here’s the problem: Republicans keep only half of their promise. They are good at cutting taxes. But they never cut spending.
 
Reagan never did. Neither did Gingrich, though he did work out a balanced budget with Erskine Bowles and President Clinton. George W. Bush exploded spending.
 
The only time we had a real balanced budget, then, was under a Democratic President.
 
Here’s the real hypocrisy: While promising to cut spending, Republicans are decrying Obamacare’s alleged cuts in Medicaid, cuts they used to support.
 
Of course, Republicans can’t get away with this if they win in North Carolina. Because we have a balanced budget, they will really have to cut spending.
 
That will be fun to watch.
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Gary Pearce

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The Same Old Republican Pledge

For the fourth consecutive decade, Republicans are “pledging” to cut taxes and cut spending.
 
Ronald Reagan made the pledge in the 1980s. Newt Gingrich made it in the 1990s. George Bush made it in the 2000s. And now it’s back in the 2010 “Pledge to America.”
 
Jon Stewart did a masterful job of using the Republicans’ own words from before to mock the pledge – including John Boehner saying basically the same thing he said 10 years ago.
 
Here’s the problem: Republicans keep only half of their promise. They are good at cutting taxes. But they never cut spending.
 
Reagan never did. Neither did Gingrich, though he did work out a balanced budget with Erskine Bowles and President Clinton. George W. Bush exploded spending.
 
The only time we had a real balanced budget, then, was under a Democratic President.
 
Here’s the real hypocrisy: While promising to cut spending, Republicans are decrying Obamacare’s alleged cuts in Medicaid, cuts they used to support.
 
Of course, Republicans can’t get away with this if they win in North Carolina. Because we have a balanced budget, they will really have to cut spending.
 
That will be fun to watch.
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Gary Pearce

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